Life as a 20-Something.

View From My Office

2008-06-04T06:55:00.001-07:00

Texas Nissan = No Bueno

2008-05-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

I would like to leave negative feedback on the pre-owned manager at Texas Nissan of Grapevine (1401 W State Highway 114 Grapevine, Texas 76051). The pre-owned manager (Michael Peace) committed an out-the-door price to me in front of a sales rep and then called the sales rep a liar when he took my side in front of the owner of the company. My overall experience was terrible.

Texas Nissan

Mike Peace (Sales Manager)

Nissan North America

Better Business Bureau Tarrant County

NADA Association

Cars.com

Think Gas is Expensive Where YOU live?

2008-05-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Gasbuddy.com

One law is causing oil prices to go through the roof

2008-05-21T15:14:00.001-07:00

Shipments of oil headed west have shown serious declines during the month of April, down 800,000 barrels per day in the week before the publication of the report. Now, let me give you the first line from under the Westbound Oil shipments chart: "In the west, a big share of any oil stock building done this year has happened offshore, out of sight.

read more | digg story

I Will NEVER...

2008-05-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

complain about my morning commute again!

NY Times Does Nice Piece on Denton

2008-05-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

Check this out! A nice lengthy article about how great Denton, TX is??? I have lived here my whole life and not noticed this. Maybe it's like those people that live in the northwest or coast of CA and just take the beauty for granted. I need to get plugged into my own community!

Cowboy Fans Rejoice!

2008-05-13T09:27:00.001-07:00

I'm a huge Dallas Cowboy fan but not so much a fan of Jessica Simpson...good news for me and others like me.

The Three Candidates [Stooges]

2008-05-10T18:22:00.001-07:00

Obama, McCain, and Clinton = Larry, Curly, and Mo?

read more | digg story

Myranmar Update

2008-05-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Email from my friend Bryan that left for Berma Thursday:

They are currently in Thailand, they landed and got there
safely...unfortunately their luggage did not. However, they were
pretty brilliant and checked their luggage, but carried on the 2 water
filters they had flown to LA that purify over 3500 gallons of water a
day. They are hoping they will be able to use this to get clean water
to the survivors who are still without clean water or food.

Here's the update on getting into the country....

They are in an area where the government is issuing day passes into
Burma. The only catch is that they are only allowed to go in about 5
Kilometers, meaning they wont be able to get anywhere near where the
majority of the damage is. They are very excited to be able to at
least prayer walk on Burmese soil.

Another problem: other trucks and people that have gone in have had
everything they had with them confiscated. Also, the UN was allowed to
bring in tons of food today, but it is currently sitting in storage,
and the government is refusing to give it to the survivors. Please
pray that God would sustain the Burmese people until they are able to
receive food and clean water.

Please pray that God would soften the hearts of those in power, that
he would take the blinders off their eyes, and that He would convict
them of their evil hearts and fill them with compassion. Also pray
that the contact that these officials have with foreigners would be
with God fearing men and women, who, even when it seems impossible,
would treat them with respect and mercy, and be a picture of Christ to
them; ultimately glorifying God with their Christ-likeness and
witness, and hopefully gaining trust for the International community
that longs to help the Burmese in this time of need.

Pray that if they are allowed to get in with day passes, that the
government will see how much they want to help, and not confiscate the
filters. Their hope is that since they are only allowed 5 Kilometers
into the country, they will meet nationals (hopefully some believers
if there is any connection to the underground church) who they will be
able to train to use these filters, and take into the hardest hit
areas. Pray that God would lead them to honest, caring, Burmese men
and women of integrity who would follow through with helping their
people. Also, pray that if they are able to pass the filters on to
Believers, that this would strengthen their witness in a very dark
place.

They are waiting to see what happens after Burma has it's election
today on some new policies, and they are hoping this will produce some
changes in the way they are handling foreign aid.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7393588.stm

The team will try to apply for visas first thing Monday morning and
see what happens, but for now, pray that God would give them wisdom
and discernment in their decisions and protect them, that he would
lead them to all the right people, that he would strengthen them in
their weaknesses as they may very soon encounter some very difficult
things to see. Pray He would make a way for them, and others into a
place where their immediate felt needs are great, but their Spiritual
needs are even greater.

Pray that what Satan intends for evil, God would use for good; with
the cyclone, the government, and the death and starvation and
diseases. Pray that just as the water and floods tore through the
country this last week, His Spirit would flood the country with an
even greater force. Pray that this would serve as a turning point in
Burma's openness to the Gospel, and that in their brokenness and
grieving, they would recognize their great need for a Savior. Pray
that the Burmese see that their idols offer them nothing, that they
can't save them, that they offer no hope, but that there is One who is
greater and offers hope and comfort and eternal life.

Pray that God would raise up laborers (Romans 9:37 & 38) not only for
disaster relief work, but long term workers who would give their lives
to see the Burmese come to know Christ and find true life in Him.

Christ is worthy of the worship from these people and this could be an
amazing time to begin to plant seeds of the Gospel deep in their
broken hearts.

"Worthy are you to take the book and break it's seals; for You were
slain and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe, and
tongue and people and nation" Revelation 5:9

Thank God for HIS promises, and that He is faithful to keep them;

"...I looked and there before me WAS a great multitude that no one
could count from every nation and all tribes and peoples and
tongues..." Revelation 7:9

Praise God for His sovereignty and His hand in all of this, that He
would receive the glory and worship due His name.

Thank you for praying for Burma and the team, I'll keep you updated as
I hear more.

For His Glory,

Abbey

Are You Better Off?

2008-05-10T17:41:00.001-07:00

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...

read more | digg story

Oil's surge echoes dotcom bubble...

2008-05-10T17:24:00.001-07:00

A sudden surge in oil prices has dominated the headlines over the past week. The run up over the past few years is similar to the surge in the NASDAQ index in the late 1990s. Back then we were told things were different because of the arrival of the internet.

read more | digg story

Baby Ducks on 17?

2008-05-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

My in-laws live on a little par 3 with a water hazard and love to watch nature. About a month ago my mother-in-law was cleaning out flower beds. When she went to move back the branches of one of the bushes there was a duck hiding on a nest. After watching for the duck to leave she went out and counted 15 duck eggs in this nest.

Today they finally hatched and here are the pictures of the ducks headed to the hazard on 17.

I Love My Church!

2008-05-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Here is an email I received from our pastor regarding the crisis in Myanmar:
--
Dear church family,

Once again, I tip my hat to you. Thank you for responding with passion to the plea that went out earlier this week about the relief trip to Myanmar.

Five members of The Village will board a plane Thursday morning on their way to Myanmar to assist in relief efforts for the next 14 days. They'll be working with an agency called Thirst No More, and their main goal will be to provide clean water to the area.

Thank you for making it possible for the five to go. In all, we had more than 100 of you respond in a matter of hours, with offers to sponsor someone or make the trip yourself. Matt Elkins, our church's short-term missions pastor, and Josh Drew, worship pastor at the Denton campus, will be joined by Ashley Massingale, Lauren Taylor and Brian Padgett. The group will be leaning heavily on our prayers.

Officials now estimate the death toll at more than 100,000. It's hard for me to imagine that. I beg you to pray for this country and for our five-person group. Pray that amid horrendous devastation that our Lord's name will be glorified. Pray fervently for the things our group will see, feel and touch ... that God will draw them closer through this experience. We'll keep you updated on the group's progress as soon as we hear from them.

When our church responds like it does to these calls it reminds me that five years ago we decided that we would not gauge our success here at The Village by numbers. We weren't going to simply look at weekly attendance or offerings to judge our success. We made our mission at The Village to glorify God through lives changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's why I have loved the video testimonies we have been showing in the weekend services. They reveal that we are doing what we set out to do. Lives are being changed. They are being changed by the gospel of Jesus, and those lives are glorifying God. It's easy to preach after those videos.

I want to invite you to join us next Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. at the Denton campus where we are going to get together to do a little bit of worship and a lot of praying. We'll do the same in Highland Village on Tuesday, May 13. The last nine months have been crazy with the addition of the Denton campus and the purchase of the Flower Mound campus. We want to come together again and ask God to bless us, to cry out that He is what we want, He is what we are after, His name exalted, worshiped and enjoyed. We want to ask God to protect us and guide us through the next few months. There is nothing more important that we can do than humble ourselves before God. Please join us at one of the gatherings.

This weekend, we'll be talking about the eternal purposes of why we live where we do, work where we work, have the friends we have and enjoy the games we play. I can't wait to see you.

For the joy of all people,

Matt Chandler

WWYD

2008-05-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

What would you do?

Could you pull the lever?

Respond Now to Opportunity in Myanmar (Village Church)

2008-05-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

The possibility of sending up to five people from The Village Church to Myanmar (Burma) to assist in relief work as a result of the typhoon that hit the country Sunday exists, but persons must move quickly.

The country's death toll is expected to exceed 15,000 people.

The five people from The Village would assist a ministry called Thirst No More. The president of the ministry called the church, wondering if we could provide some manpower. The individuals going would provide basic relief for the people and help provide clean water. Those interested would need to be willing to leave as early as Tuesday or Wednesday and be gone for 10 to14 days. At this point we don't have an exact cost, but it could be as much as $4,000.00.

Three categories of what we need to make this happen:

1. Those who are willing to go AND have the money.
2. Those who are willing to go but DON'T have the money.
3. Those who CANNOT go but are willing to sponsor someone to go.

The urgency of this is VERY high, and names are needed (as the names appear are on a passport) of those who can fulfill one of the three needs above.

If you submit your name to go, you must be serious, and know that there is a chance that we will not get the visas to go. There are a lot of unknowns right know, but we just need some commitments to move forward. Please contact Matt Elkins immediately at 972-215-9077 or melkins@thevillagechurch.net if you can fulfill one of the three needs above.

The country has recently been one of the most closed off countries in the world to the gospel, and the humanitarian crises there had been escalating as the government continued oppressing its people. In light of the natural disaster, the doors to Myanmar are opening as the level of need is beyond anything we can imagine. Please keep this country and its people in your prayers.

Cannot Think of Age Appropriate Title

2008-05-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

So after receiving 200 miles compensation I was unhappy with AA.com. Many people I work with were given 500miles plus 2 upgrades for the S-80 mess a few weeks ago. Here is the response from AA customer service.

------------------------

May 5, 2008

Dear Mr. Vinson:

Thank you for contacting us again. It gives us the chance to take another look at the
circumstances surrounding your experience. I have carefully reviewed your previous
communication (and our response) and I appreciate the opportunity to address your
concerns.

We regret that your flights were impacted the MD-80 inspection activity. We are not
unmindful of the related inconvenience to your travel plans. Nonetheless, the
compensation options recently mentioned in news reports were intended to mitigate the
negative impact for those customers who were stranded away from home. I apologize for
any confusion that may have been created by media reports or word of mouth. We
sympathize with your experience and we regret having to disappoint you further by
respectfully declining your request for additional compensation.

We know this situation was frustrating. Again, we apologize for the disruption of
your travel plans caused by the MD-80 inspections and the resulting flight
cancellations. Please fly with us again soon -- we'll do our best to get you to your
destination as planned.

Sincerely,

Tawnya M. Hendricks
Customer Relations
American Airlines

-----------------------------------

REALLY? "The compensation options recently mentioned in news reports were intended to mitigate the
negative impact for those customers who were stranded away from home." Is Orange County, CA away from home? Did I spend 2 days trying to get in contact with a customer service rep to get my flight home?

If only Delta had not pulled out of DFW airport. I'm sure I'm not the only one that would be jumping off the local air carrier. "We know why you fly..."

Microblog = Twitter

2008-04-17T06:57:00.001-07:00

As you can tell, I don't blog anymore...far too time consuming. However, I have switched to Twitter...to keep my friends and family updated on the day-to-day goings on of life. If you'd like to subscribe to my Twitter feed, just go to http://twitter.com/brianvinson and click the RSS feed at the bottom of the page. In fact, set up your own account so I can follow you and see what goes on in your life!

Weapons of Map Destruction

2007-09-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

Most of you have seen the Ms. Teen USA from South Carolina's wonderful response to a geography question (if not see below).

One of the guys I work with had this to say:

The reason that U.S. Americans do not have maps is because 'The Iraq' had WMD's...Weapons of Map Destruction. Like such as!

Savage Chickens...

2007-08-15T09:09:00.001-07:00

YOU'RE THE WORST CUSTOMER EVER!

2007-08-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Boycott

2007-07-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

After the 7/26/07 post over at MyBlogCanBeatUpYourBlog I am asking anyone that might come across this post to NEVER go over there.

In fact, I have also petitioned the US Government to impose sanctions on MyBlogCanBeatUpYourBlog.

Thanks and have a great day.
Your Pal-
BeVo

Horak

2007-07-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Erin is not cool...

My Favorite Sermon (Ever)

2007-06-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

Marshillchurch.org

Splish Splash

2007-06-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

It finally stopped raining long enough for K to fill up the ole plastic pool for Ab's...does it look like she was having fun?

Friendly Reminder...

2007-04-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

If "if's" and "but's" were candy and nuts, we'd all weigh 300 pounds...

Facebook

2007-04-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

I was reading a Fast Company article about the 22 year-old behind Facebook and thought I'd check it out.

It's pretty sweet. You can catch up with peeps you went to high school and/or college with as well as your current hommies. You can also upload photos and tag your friends in them.

It's a nice little social networking site...and they run the whole thing using MySQL.

I hope I got this right...

2007-04-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

So I'm trying to send an email to one of my senators...how's this for anti-spam validation?

Silly Google

2007-04-12T04:46:00.000-07:00

I told one of my buddies at work about the new (and free) Google 411. He showed me something pretty funny on Google Maps in return.

Thanks JMJ.

The Fast or The Office?

2007-04-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

I debated whether or not to post this due to Matthew 6:16-18...

16"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

But, that being said, I am a depraved and flawed human.

The wife and I have given up the TV for 6 weeks in an effort to draw closer to God and each other. But the first thought that went through my head was, "I'm going to miss The Office!" What an idiot. Would I rather spend my time watching a made up television show about a bunch of worker bees at a paper company or pressing into God to know Him and enjoy Him?

Am I worshiping, the Creator or the things He created for us to enjoy?

What is my focus, the goals I have set for myself or constantly pressing into God?

Just a few random scattered thoughts.

What do YOU do???

2007-04-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Dilbert just hits the nail on the head...

So Cool I HAVE to Post

2007-03-06T12:00:00.001-08:00

So it's been like 4 years (maybe a little less than that) since I've put anything out here...but this was just TOO INSANE to just sit on.

The wife and I have joined a new church and are looking for a home group. I received the following email in my Gmail account today.

It might be hard to read on the image above, so here is the text of the email:

"Home group is tomorrow evening at 7:00 PM. This home group meets every other Wednesday. It is at the home of XXXXXXXXXXXXX. Their address is 123 XXXXXX Place in Highland Village. Their's is the first home on the left."

Would you like to add this to your Google Calendar? Would you like for us to map this for you on Google Maps? There is some filter parsing out all this information. WOW!!! "...and it keeps getting awesomer".

| What a Mess |

2006-05-04T04:44:00.000-07:00

| Evidence of Global Warming |

2006-04-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

| PrestonWorld |

2006-03-31T07:21:00.000-08:00

I love Prestonwood baptist Church:

NUFF SAID...

| Growing Up |

2006-03-30T06:36:00.000-08:00

Man, it's hard to believe our little girl is already 8 months old...she'll be asking for lunch money before too long.

| Blue Grass? |

2006-03-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

So last night was guys night out. The Bela Fleck and the Flecktones were amazing! I will discuss there set in my next post (or will I?). The opening act took the stage and my jaw dropped.

Rhonda Vincent and the Rage is a blue grass group full of talent. Picture this, 3 stage mics shared by 5 players:

The front woman / mandolin picker
The banjo strummer
The up-right bass slapper
The fiddle fiddler
The acoustic guitar mistro

Each one would move toward their shared mic for solos/highlights within each song. The really interesting thing about the show was watching this process. Each mic stand was straight up (no boom) which means they were set at a pretty low height (each person would 'hunch' over to sing). Also, the sound was not processed, so each note, vocal harmony, and riff was just hanging out there naked for the hall to hear.

Anywho, I'm not very good a painting pictures. Go check out their live album Ragin' Live. My favorite two tracks are 'Driving Nails' and 'I've Forgotten You'.

I let K listen to a few tracks today and she goes, 'this is country!!!' (it should also be noted that she requests ketchup when we go to Bob's) :P

| Bela Fleck and the Flecktones |

2006-03-28T04:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm getting pretty stoked. I'm going to see Bela Fleck and the Flecktones tonight with a few of my buddies at Bass Hall. I'm excited about this for two reasons.

I have never been to Bass Hall (and I hear it's amazing).
I have never seen the Flecktones headline a show.

From Wikipedia.org:

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is a primarily instrumental group that draws equally on bluegrass, fusion and jazz band, sometimes dubbed "blue-bop." The band formed in 1988, initially to perform once on the PBS series Lonesome Pine Specials. The Flecktones have toured extensively since then, often playing over 200 concerts per year.

Frontman Béla Fleck plays acoustic and electric banjos, mixing a bluegrass and folk sound into a modern improvisational style. Fleck has received Grammy nominations for jazz, bluegrass, pop, spoken word and country.

Brothers Victor Wooten and Roy "Future Man" Wooten form the rhythm section. Victor Wooten is widely lauded in jazz circles for his sometimes hyperkinetic slap and pop technique on bass guitar. Future Man plays percussion using the one and only Synthaxe Drumitar, a MIDI controller shaped like a guitar.

Membership in The Flecktones is little changed since the band released its eponymous first album.

Harmonica and keyboards player Howard Levy appeared on the Flecktones' first three albums. After Levy's departure, Fleck and the Wooten Brothers regrouped on the album Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the title a reference to the 1975 movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest based on Ken Kesey's novel. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin joined the band beginning with the album Left Of Cool.

The band has won several Grammy awards.

Each of the current members of the quartet has released at least one solo album.

| HD is Here |

2006-03-27T05:58:00.000-08:00

So we finally got Direct TV HD installed on Saturday...

WOW!!! Texas losing to LSU didn't hurt as bad in HD :D It looks amazing. One of my friends recommended getting an off air antenna to pick up WFAA in HD since it does not come across the dish yet. So I went ahead and splurged.

This leads me to the installation technician.

Could they send a more apathethetic, in a hurry, sloppy, installer? (Hint: The answer is NO)

The guy brought is son (a teenager) with him to help out. After he installed the new dish on the roof do you think he put silicone around the bolts (like the last guy did)? Is that not part of the install now? Do I have to get on a ladder and do it myself?

Then, he gets everything setup and begins his very brief tutorial. We get to WFAA and the off air antenna says, 'searching for signal'...now wait a minute, this is the only reason I purchased the additional antenna.

'Oh yeah,' he says 'you live too far north to get that channel. You can purchase an amplifier from Radio Shack and that should boost the signal enough for you to get it.'

So, Sunday I go outside to begin yard work and there is junk the guy left after he was 'finished' laying all over the yard.

Needless to say, Direct TV will be receiving a phone call from me on my commute home. Their customer service has always been great. But this contractor/installer was horrid.

MAN, STUART SCOTT'S EYE LOOKS REALLY BAD IN HD :P

| Wishful Thinking |

2006-03-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it almost happen. But it didn't. Those Tigers are tough.

Horns Go For Trifecta

2006-03-24T04:03:00.000-08:00

Baseball, Football, and Basketball...

Could it be true? When was the last time one university dominated like the University of Texas?

Oh, and what happen there at the end of last night's game to Pittsnogle (WV)?

Google Pages?

2006-03-23T04:48:00.000-08:00

Looks like Google is now taking on Wordpress/TypePad. I quickly (as you will see) built this page. I took a total of 10 minutes and that includes 'figuring the GUI out' time. Go take a look a my test page

http://brian.vinson.googlepages.com/home

Landover Baptist Church

2006-03-22T04:28:00.000-08:00

What in the world is this?

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/

Satire?

Your vote...Funny, Not Funny

Google Finance

2006-03-21T04:48:00.000-08:00

So I go to my Google search bar in Firefox and type in TRI to see if there are any news mentions from being on Mad Money last night.

WHAT?!?!

NO YAHOO FINANCE!?!?!

WHAT'S THIS NEW GOOGLE FINANCE ALL ABOUT!?!?!

It's pretty slick so far. They've even made finance cool by adding a little Flash and AJAX to the site.

Almost Famous...

2006-03-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

So, I finally did it. I emailed cramer@cnbc.com about my old company stock.

And someone from the show called me this morning to see if I was interested in being on 'THE LIGHTENING ROUND'. Well, I called from work and waited on the phone for like an hour. Then...I was on with 'Skeedaddy'.

He basically said to hold on to what I have since Tenet and HCA suck.

So go check it out tonight:
Monday:
6:00 PM ET
9:00 PM ET
12:00 AM ET

Mad Money With Jim Cramer

Good Bye Google IG

2006-03-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

I've been using Google IG for a pretty good while but am about to switch my 'home page' over. I just found this sweet page Goowy.

Just go check it out.

You will not be disappointed!
BV

Mad Money

2006-03-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

I'm hooked on this show. Yeah the constant movement and 'boo-yah's will give you tired head but this Jim Cramer guy appears to know his stuff. I have just finished his book (the one he throws all over the set) and he has some pretty good tips.

Although it's been a rough couple of weeks for the NASDAQ and NYSE, my portfolio is only down 1%. Granted that's not that great but I guess it could be worse...

ARNA has been a home run thus far (up 14% since I bought)

CROX on the other hand has pretty much 'crapped out' to use a gambling term (down 12%)

By the way, the wife hates the show :D

Rollover...

2006-02-17T05:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally decided to rollover my old 401K to an IRA at Fidelity. After praying about it, seeking Godly counsel, and reading a few books, I have decided to take that retirement money and break it into thirds.

One third in Vangards Wellington Mutual Fund
One third will be invested in a 'sector' fund (TBD)
One third will be split between 5 individual stocks

Last night I placed all of my orders. Let's see how they will do. The five stocks are:

TRI - Triad Hospitals (already had these from previous employee stock option)
MXO - MAXTOR CORP NEW
ARNA - ARENA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
EDO - EDO CORPORATION NY
CROX - CROCS INC COM

I have also pledged to do at least 1 hour of home work each week on these to keep up on them.

You Say it's My Birthday?

2006-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my 26th birthday. To quote my father-in-law.

'If you keep having them at this pace you will have to change the name your Blog to Thirty Something before you know it.'

Man, it was a great day. I had to work late but what's new?

The day before my parents took Kristie and me to P.F. Chang's (doesn't get much better than that).

Check this out...on top of the sweet new PC speakers my wife got me and my new wireless keyboard and mouse for the office my parents got me, the in-laws and my parents got me every book I had put on a wish list!!!

How awesome is that?

Here's what I have on the ole' bookshelf now:

Tim Sanders - The Likeability Factor : How to Boost Your L-Factor and Achieve Your Life's Dreams

Steven D. Levitt - Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Tom Peters - Leadership (Tom Peters Essentials)

Tom Peters - Talent (Tom Peters Essentials)

Jim Collins - Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

Malcolm Gladwell - The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

James Cramer - Jim Cramer's Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World

Suze Orman - The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke

Donald Miller - Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

C.S. Lewis - The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics

My New Question...

2006-01-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

Why?

Would you like fries with that?

How may I help you?

All of these are great questions that I have used throughout my life. Well, I have a new one, and it makes sense.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?

This stems from a saying we had in the hospital pharmacy where I use to work. You would constantly have people (nurses) asking you to do something. In this fast paced environment, we constantly focused on volume (get it done). The only problem was about 75% of the time they would not fill in all of the parameters. That would always lead to a bunch of 'back and forth' until the issue was resolved. BBG (my boss) quickly came up with a saying:

'Give them what they need, not what they ask for!'

By asking, 'What are you trying to accomplish,' I feel that we could have resolved many issues faster. This would lead to happy nurses, happy patients, and quicker resolutions. All of this would increase customer satisfaction.

The next time you are asked to do something, think is through, how much time could you save in the end by asking this question.

VOTD: Colossians 3:23

2006-01-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..."

Own Your Schedule

2006-01-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

Do you own your schedule? Or does it own you? Just something to think about. The past 2 months have been pretty intense for this 20-something (1/25 will start my 26th year of life). Right now my schedule owns me.

I need to do better at my quiet times
I need to be more 'on purpose' with the time I spend with Kristie
I need to manage my workflow process better
I need to get better about leaving work 'on-time'
I need to blog again (it's nice to vent to the world)

We all need to remember it should be:

God
Family
Work

Especially when the going gets tough.

Personal Bandwidth...

2005-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

band·width - The amount of data that can be passed along a communications channel in a given period of time.

This phrase has been floating around the office these days. It sounds a lot better than 'I don't have enough time'.

Go ahead and throw that out their the next time someone piles something else on your plate and says 'eat it!'

'I just do not have the bandwidth for that right now'.

I Finally Agree With Oprah...

2005-11-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

My wife told me about a recent Oprah episode where diet and exercise were the topics. While I truly believe she just might be the anti-Christ, I think she got this one right.

See for yourself, I'm surprised her website has held up to all of the hits. [link]

Got to go...time to exercise :)

Got Beard Lube?

2005-11-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have used shaving gel for as long as it has been around. There has been a switch and it is wonderful!

When I placed my latest order for 'Dirt' at Sephora.com, I added a little something just to try it out...Jack Black's Beard Lube. This is just about the greatest thing ever. Preshave conditioner, shaving cream, and after shave all built into one. The other cool thing? It is not pressurized like most shaving cream/gel...meaning if you drop it in the shower, the 'button' won't break and leave you with a mess.

Which brings up another topic.

Is it just me or is shaving in the shower the greatest??? You already have hot water and your facial hair is softer which leads to a closer shave.

Espresso Porn?!?!

2005-11-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Found this very funny site:

www.espressoporn.com

Well I think it's funny but for those of you addicted to the stuff...well...you might find it 'provocative'.

Here's a sample

62-0 and VA Tech lost!!!

2005-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

La Coche Esta Muerta

2005-11-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Well, not quite. But she is on her last leg. That being said, her replacement has been narrowed down to three:

2006 Mazda 3

2006 Volkswagen Jetta

2006 Honda Civic

COBRA...Snake

2005-11-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

I knew it was going to happen.

I planned for it.

I even attempted a preemptive strike.

Our little Abbie was born 7/25/2005 (5 months ago) and we are still battling insurance companies.

When I left the hospital, I knew we were going to need COBRA to cover Abbie's birth. I called and called. 'Where is this?' 'When will we get that?'

It would be nice to have someone do all of this for me. Like a health insurance 'broker'. File everything on our behalf and follow up.

We don't have the time

Don't most people have someone they go to for investments? Watch this stock and when it hits X amount sell, sell, sell.

I want someone to do that with our health insurance.

'Here's the best PPO for your family. Open a HSA and put X amount in it..oh and here is the best one to use.'

Wouldn't that be nice!?!?!

600 Card Pickup

2005-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone has heard of 52 card pickup...you know the game you played as a child where cards are launched at the individual that says 'sure, what's that'.

Well I get to play the grown up version...take these 600 reports and reorganize them / combine them / shuffle them / simplify them.

Sound like fun?

You bet!!!

Let's go over my 'Now, Discover Your Strengths' strengths to see if this fits:

WOO (Winning Others Over) - I enjoy getting people to like me...well after everything is done, prayerfully, everyone will love it and therefore love the company (even more).
Ideation - I'm fascinated by ideas /concepts...nuff said
Responsibility - I feel emotionally bound to follow through on anything I commit to...again, nuff said
Significance - I want to be known and to stand out...pulling this off for the company will be huge.

Looks like a great fit. I am very excited about joining the Report Central team to work on this project.

MSN v. Google: Let the games begin...

2005-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

google.com/ig

start.com

Compose in Word; Publish to Blogspot...

2005-10-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

For those that like creating their master pieces in Microsoft Word prior to publishing to Blogspot here is your long awaited answer to, 'How do I...'

Blogger for Word is a free add-in for Microsoft Word that lets you save a Word document as a post to your Blogger blog with just a few clicks, and without even opening up a browser. Blogger for Word makes it even easier to express yourself online, save your documents to the web, and edit your work both online and off.

Horns Top Trojans

2005-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

This just keeps getting better and better. The Texas Longhorns are standing at the top of the BCS! After Ohio State losing to Penn State I was nervous that Texas Tech was going to lose a game before the mighty Longhorns got to them. Should be a cake walk the rest of the way to the Rose Bowl.

By the way, I hope USC does not lose to UCLA I would love to see a UT v. USC game at the end of the season.

The Eyes of Texas: 52-17

2005-10-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

I have been waiting for this year for 25 years...how much is a plane ticket to CA?

HOOK 'EM

We Have a Winner!!!

2005-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Cashmere Blazer

Description:
You are seeking the ultimate messenger style 17" laptop satchel, with 'kitchen sink' features yield. At this size has plentiful interior space for the extra protection afforded by full padded protection for your expensive IT goodies whilst on the go. This model has an internal divider in the main compartment meaning it's also good for those carrying a laptop, drawing tablet and or satellite phone! Good for those looking to combine their briefcase with their notebook bag. Very 'suit'-able but still street ably acceptable looks-wise.

Features:
Water resistant 1000D Nylon shell & 420D Ripstop Nylon lining, fully padded main & laptop compartments, 1 x external gusseted zip pocket w/ 6 pocket organizer, 3 x internal front pockets, padded internal divider in main compartment w/ 3 Velcro pockets, adjustable main strap w/ Quick Flick TM buckle, adjustable removable shoulder pad w/ Third Leg stability strap, clip & Velcro release flap, fits 17" laptop.

Holds:
Large sized 17" laptop shoulder bag fully padded for maximum protection and neat shape. Has a plethora of pockets both zipped and Velcro and holds around 4 folders, 17" laptop & accessories as well as daily essentials. Use the main or side strap to attach an optional extra Thirsty Al mobile phone holder. Utilize the 3rd leg Stability Strap for backpack-like levels of comfort and stability especially when riding.

Dimensions:
17.7x17.7x7.9 inches vol 20 litres 16x11.4x2 [internal laptop sleeve]

www.roadwired.com

2005-10-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

www.roadwired.com

www.jackspade.com

2005-10-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

www.jackspade.com

www.crumplerbags.com

2005-10-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

www.crumplerbags.com

A Big Bag...

2005-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Go ahead finish it...but that's not what this is all about. I've been hauling around my laptop in a generic Dell bag. Now for those of you that do not know me very well, I don't like generic stuff. Not even generic Tylenol (maybe a bit of a stretch). I like the original and I like to be original. Therefore, I am in need of a cool (maybe not one of a kind) bag to carry this thing around in.

Any ideas???

The Fox and the Crow

2005-10-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

A coal-black crow once stole a piece of meat. She flew to a tree and held the meat in her beak.
A fox, who saw her, wanted the meat for himself, so he looked up into the tree and said, 'How beautiful you are, my friend! Your feathers are fairer than the dove's.
'Is your voice as sweet as your form is beautiful? If so, you must be the queen of birds.'
The crow was so happy in his praise that she opened her mouth to show how she could sing. Down fell the piece of meat.
The fox seized upon it and ran away.
-Aesop

Vanity/pride is largely a matter of self-control. Others may try to feed our ego, but it's up to us to constrain it.

MAN I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

The Book of Virtues

2005-10-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

I ordered this book as well as the Children's Book of Virtues (+800 pages). It is one of the best books (if not the best) I have ever purchased. After reading all of the 'business' books and 'how to think' books it was time to go a different route. This think is filled with stories, fables, essays, poetry about virtues (the children's book is abbridged and illustrated):

Self-Discipline
Compassion
Responsibility
Friendship
Work
Courage
Perseverance
Honesty
Loyalty
Faith

I will be sharing little snippets as I go through this wonderful book. Here's the first:

On Self-Discipline - Our Lips and Ears

If you your lips would keep from slips,
Five things observe with care:
Of whom you speak, to whom you speak,
And how and when and where.

If you your ears would save from jeers,
These things keep meekly hid:
Myself and I, and mine and my,
And how I do and did.

When I Need to Laugh

2005-10-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing like walking into work and being slammed with negativity. It's all about change management with the company I work for. After an organization has signed up the good times begin to roll.

'We did it this way before.'

'This doesn't work the way we need it to.'

Blah, blah, blah...

Most of the time the individuals that sign off on the purchase are not the ones that end up using it. This is when the Good Times are over and I need to laugh...

These two links make me laugh every time. Enjoy...

Homestar Runner #1
Homestar Runner #2

RSS: Tracking Packages

2005-10-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Greate idea, huh? Order from Amazon or Ebay and click a link to subscribe to an RSS feed for your package...

Where is this?

2005-10-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

On my way to volunteer @ UpTown this morning at 3:00AM and what do I see???

Pumpkin Patch Beating

2005-10-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

I look cute but won't remember this...

Squishy Baby Smiles

2005-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Abbie decided she likes her daddy (a little).

Maybe I Should Be an NFL GM

2005-09-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the way I see it (and if you've heard this before, oh well). Randy Moss and Chad Johnson can run down the field at full speed, catch a ball in double coverage and continue at blazing fast speed another 50 yards to the endzone. This is not a suprise.

However, the next time you see this observe the (sometimes) overweight line judge that is standing at the endzone to put his hands up and signal TOUCHDOWN.

The dude is never out of breath and manages to keep up with fastest guys in the league.

If I were GM I would hire a few of them for the ole' team...don't know about their hands though.

The Morning After...A Push

2005-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ahh the morning after a new release...there's nothing like it!!! What happen last night? Did it go off without a hitch? What will our clients think about all the hard work and late hours we put in? How many bugs will be reported? How many people will email us and say, 'Why do you guys keep changing things?' How many people will call us and say, 'WOW!!! This is great!!! BUT now can you add this?!?'

It's funny, I find myself doing the same thing though. When a wonderful new piece of technology is released (e.g. Google Earth) and we play around with it but say, 'Man, that is awesome!!! Too bad you can't do ______!!!'

Just enjoy it. Look at all the wonderful new features (and the occasional bug that slipped past QA).

If I were one of our customers, I would think one of the coolest things about our product is that any and all updates are:

Free
Automatically updated when you login to the system

In fact, I don't know of any other place (other then TiVo) where you get free and or automatic updates...

Let's see...I'll have to go buy the new version of Quicken to get all of those updates. I'll have to go purchase Microsoft Longhorn (or whatever the next version's name is) I'll have to go buy a new car if I want updates...

Huh, interesting business model. Wonder if the individuals that use our product have ever thought about that...sounds like a great selling point.

Hillary in 08?

2005-09-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Want Hillary Clinton to be president in 2008? Looks like ABC is paving the way for her. First, you have to get the American mindset to begin processing what this would look like. Enter Commander in Chief the new series from America's Broadcasting Company. In fact please click the link...they have really done this up! It looks like an online newpaper with what is really going on (polls and all).

The first post is this:

'For the first time in our nation's history, a woman leads us. How will President Mackenzie Allen face challenges, both personal and political, unknown to any previous Commander in Chief? The answers, opinions, and even more questions are here, in the words of the people.'

Check out this piece from the Village Voice [link]

_______________________________________________

For something a little less disturbing and pretty cool click here.

Lovely Rita, Meter Maid

2005-09-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

In the wake of Katrina comes lovely Rita (think Beatles). Check out these amazing satelite pictures from the NOAA website (thanks Jeremy). [link] You can also find all kinds of other great overhead pictures there too. Speaking of, have you seen Google Maps view of New Orleans post Katrina?

I find it hard to belive that the forecasters in the area think this will still be a Catagory 1 when it makes its way to DFW. They can't even tell me when it's going to rain...

Should be fun at Fellowship Uptown this Sunday...

Google Sidebar

2005-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

The latest and greatest from Google (I feel like a Google Apologist now) is the latest version of desktop search. You may put an autohide side bar that contains a pluthera of information right at the movement of a mouse.

Want to see all of your new emails? They're all in your new sidebar.

Want to follow your mutual funds or stocks? Just put them in your sidebar.

Want to see a slideshow of your new precious little baby girl? Just put the file path to a picture folder in your sidebar.

Want to read blogs but don't like going to Bloglines every 30 minutes to see if anyone has something new? Put the URL feed in your sidebar and see the latest posts from all of your favorites.

Want the weather forecast for where you live and/or work? Put it/them in the sidebar.

Like to use notepad to take quick notes if someone calls? Write them in the sidebar.

Oh yeah...want to search your entire harddrive and hate using the search under 'Start'? Use the desktop search that the whole thing was originally created for.

When's that Google OS coming out???

Thought / Quote of the Day

2005-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Heard this on commercial and made me laugh:

'Don't women know if they would go to the restroom by themselves instead of with a friend, the lines would be half as long?!?'

Quote of the day:

I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it.
- Edith Sitwell

Think about that Mayor Ray...

Blog Search Feed

2005-09-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

To all of those super geeks that want to search all blogs for a specific item (i.e. "Fellowship Technologies") and be alerted anytime a new post includes this, you are going to love search.blogger.com. Search for anything "Texas Longhorns" (using quotes pulls results where the two words are together) "Dallas Cowboys" whatever and then go to the bottom to subscribe to this search!

Amazing

If you're a news/opionion junkie like I am, you will think this is the best thing ever...

J Froggy-Frog

2005-09-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

J.R., This one's for you.

So if you look like two posts below, you will see a post about 'G' (I must now refer to G00g!e as G because of BLAMMING).

This new personalized search page is amazing! Have a favorite blog or two? Go ahead and copy the Feedburner link and paste it in the RSS feed section and voila, instant 'bloglines'.

You may also personalize news stories from 'G' news. I have "Texas Longhorns" football as one of mine.

On a side note, my wife started her very own blog last night: myabbie.blogspot.com

Blam - Blog Spam

2005-09-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Don't blog about the 'G' word or your comments will get spammed with junk...nice!!! Thanks for ruining it for the rest of us!!!

IDIOT!!! You know I'm training to become a cage fighter!!!

You have been warned...

myGoogle?

2005-09-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Quote of the day from my personalized Google page (your very own portal...):

'My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what's really going on to be scared.'
-P.J. Plauger

Recipe of the Day - Chicken Satay Sandwich

2005-08-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 pounds thin cut chicken breast meat (cutlets)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Grill seasoning (recommended: Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick) or coarse salt and pepper
3 rounded tablespoons chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, Tamari, eyeball it
1/4 cup apple juice, eyeball it
2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
1 lime, juiced
1/4 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise then cut into sticks
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups shredded lettuce, iceberg or hearts of romaine
4 crusty rolls, keisers or subs, split

Heat a grill pan or large nonstick skillet to medium high to high heat. Coat chicken in oil and grill seasoning and cook 3 minutes on each side in 2 batches. Pile up meat and shred it with a sharp knife.

Place peanut butter in a medium, microwave safe bowl and soften in the microwave on high for 20 seconds. Whisk soy, apple juice, hot sauce and lime juice into peanut butter. Toss chicken with satay sauce. Combine shredded veggies. Place 1/4 of veggies on sandwich bottoms and top with 1/4 satay chicken mixture. Set the bun tops in place and serve or wrap for travel.

This Recipe came from Rachel '30 Minute' Ray on foodtv.com. I brought this to work and ate one then shared the rest. Everyone loved it.

Enjoy

The Greatness of Ali G

2005-08-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Bodyguards tackle Ali G [link]

I don't know which is more bizarre...Ali G tackling Pam Anderson or Pam Anderson marrying her dogs?!?!

Gmail Anyone?

2005-08-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that everyone in the world that wants a Gmail account already has one. If you still don't have one or whatever post a comment (including your email address) and it will be yours soon.

Man I have tired head today!

Brian's Notes: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

2005-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Man oh man am I tired of motivational books where managers 'trick' their reports into 'finding their cheese' or whatever. This book, however, was refreshing. Written by the same guy that did 'The Five Temptations of a CEO' (Patrick Lencioni), this book pretty much skips the fluff and gets to the point through a nice little parable about a startup company.

It's pretty funny to see the different personality types and how they interact (you'll find you self saying...'Oh yeah! That's me!' or 'Man, that sounds just like something so-and-so would say.' Anyway, here is the main gist.

Look at your team. The people you meet with on your level. If you're a chick on the executive team it would be your executive team. If you're just some dude in a department it's the people you meet with in the department. After looking at your team, are you moving in the same direction, toward one common goal?

Do you trust each other? (Are you willing to show where you're weak within the group)
Do you fear conflict? (Are you incapable of engaging in unfiltered straight-up debate)
Do you lack commitment? (Are you completely sold out to your agreements)
Do you hold each other accountable? (Are you able to call people on the carpet if they commit and don't follow through)
Do you pay attention to results? (Are you putting your individual needs (ego/recognition) ahead of the teams one common goal)

It all builds like the pyramid at the top (the only one I could find is built backwards...go figure).

Trust each other so you can have blunt debates so you can totally commit so you can hold each other accountable so you can pay attention to the common goal of the team!

Hope that was helpful...Go get the book or have your company/organization start a library where you could 'read up' on some books...even the one about Cheese.

Tip Du Jour #2 - Fellowship One - People Search

2005-08-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

The church my wife and I attend uses a Church Management Application called Fellowship One. I have learned a few tips and tricks from a few 'Portal Users'. For those of you that use this wonderful application, this tip is for you.

Alt-S

From anywhere in the portal you may access the People Search in the top left hand corner simply by holding the 'Alt' key and hitting 'S'. This is a pretty helpful short cut for those of you that do not enjoy using the ole' mouse.

Enjoy!

My Google, My Google, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?!?!

2005-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

What has happened to Google? I noticed this weekend that some of their searches have changed. You cannot look up stock quotes easily at this time. Previously you could put in the 3 or 4 letters that identify a company on NYSE or NASDAQ (i.e. AMR, GOOG) and Google would pull up the live stock quote and all the company information. Also, the 'movies 76210' function where you could see what is showing close to you at a glance is not working. I've been relying on this for awhile now and it's just gone...

I have noticed that you can now use other search engines via Google (look at the top of your search now).

I know you guys and gals lead the innovation pack but come on!!! When something is great why revert to good???

Tip Du Jour #1 - Quick URL Entry

2005-08-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I've told everyone what I do now at my job...since I left the hospital. I now work at a help desk for a startup company. There are two of us supporting our product for about 200 customers currently. People call or write us for tips using our product and along the way we find out little tips for using everyday software (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Word, Excel, etc.). So on Thursdays I've decided to start sharing an everyday tip.

Todays tip is for all you internet junkies.

Quick URL entry:

Try this out on your favorite web browser...mine's Mozilla's Firefox. Go to the address bar and type the word 'weather' (without the quotes). Now hold your CTRL key and hit enter. Voila!!! I'm not going to tell you what happens...just try it (you'll get the weather channels website).

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

2005-08-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

I love to read and was very excited when our SVP (senior vice president) offered up a copy of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Anyone else heard of it?

I'll let you know what I think...

Man, a baby is a lot of work...

Jonathan Schwartz - Fast Company

2005-08-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Checkout this recent interview with President and COO of Sun Microsystems in Fast Company. [link] (If it asks for an access code: FCAUGHR)

The two quotes I have taken away from it are:

"When you do what you love, you can't lose."

This goes back to "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. Focus on your strengths instead of weaknesses and you'll end up enjoying what you do even more and be more productive!!! He's even written an article in this months issue. [link]

and

"You are not about to send fewer email messages, watch fewer movies, or download fewer songs. Demand is unceasing. It is up to us to meet it."

Take that and chew on it...If people really want your product (that's normally a good thing), what
are you doing to meet it? As Tom Peters says, "You can't shrink your way to greatness!"

Hello

2005-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Man, after you have a baby everyone is picture crazy. I've played around with Hello since I started blogging but did not recognize the greatness of it until this past week! You can queue up pictures to send and it doesn't require an email to send them. I would highly suggest this wonderful tool especially if you have pictures to share with parents that don't live locally.

Oh yeah! Don't forget Picassa 2 to go with it. It will automatically index every picture on your computer and allow you to access Hello or Gmail to send them directly from Picassa. Or, select the pictures you like and have them printed via ShutterFly ($0.17 per picture and mailed within 2 days) or Wal-Mart ($0.20 pick up within an hour!!!) with the click of your mouse.

Did I mention that these programs are free?

But wait...there's more! If you still do not have a Gmail account and would like one, simply leave a comment (including your current email address) on this post!

Bunny With a Pancake On His Head

2005-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

One of the guys I work with (Mr. Jackson not Michael's father) was on the internet and was 404'd. This picture was on the page...I thought it was funny.

Then Nick found the origin of the picture. [link] Turns out this little bunny is an expert at balancing stuff on his head!!!

Not too witty today...sorry.

Abbie's Official WebSite

2005-07-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

My father (Abbie's Pe-Paw) has created a website all about her:

www.abigailvinson.com

Man are we exhausted...

We were at the doctors office (Dr. David Goff of Cooke's Children's) at 7:00AM this morning for her first checkup. By the way, we would recommend that early to everyone because it's nice to be first in line. All is going well. She's lost a little bit of weight so we're going to start on a 7-7-20 (that's all I'm allowed to post no detail...I'm sure the ladies can figure it out) regiment to help her out.

Inapropriate joke of the day (just a little vulgar) MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE TO CONTINUE!!!

Why are babies so fragile?

They are put together with one screw!!!

Thank you goodnight! or day...we're all mixed up

First Night = DONE!!!

2005-07-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

I just wish everyone could marry an amazing wife like I did. Have I said how wonderful she's doing with this whole 'motherhood' thing? WOW!!! God will provide is right!

In keeping with the tradition of this pregnancy (thank you God), the first night went very very well. I stayed up late with Abbie and gave her a bottle around midnight so Mom could get as much rest as possible. That worked out pretty well since we're nursing...one and a quarter ounces of formula = about 3 and a half hours of sleep...does that mean 2 ounces = 6 hours of sleep? j/k

Thanks for the prayers last night and thank you Robin & Terry for the fantastic Chicken Lasagna (was that cream cheese???(we need that recipe!!!))

It's official Abbie has taken over the blog for awhile...

Okay...More Pictures

2005-07-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Click here for more pictures of the lovely, beautiful and talented Abigail 'Abbie' Morgan Vinson.

BV

Home at last

2005-07-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Praise Jesus we are already home. Everything is going great!!! The dogs are adjusting nicely to little miss Abbie. We're home and did I say...we're home. I know we were only in the hospital for like a day and a half but 'there is no place like home!'

Yes, I know...Life as we know it is over...we know it's true but man, if I had a dollar for everytime we heard that in the last 36 hours we would be rich.

Thank you to the wonderful staff at the Presbyterian Hospital of Denton's Center for Women. Debbie, Betty, Abby, Cindy, Stephanie, Carmen, Mitzi, Linda and of course Donna (the A-Team) you were all amazing and made the whole experience even more wonderful than it already was (thanks for the suite!!!). Dr. Marc Wilson, you are truly an amazing man of God and we appreciate your love, kindness and gentleness throughout this entire pregnancy.

Thanks to my parents (Tate and Lecil) and the Out-Laws (Donnie and Diane) for food and getting stuff and checking on the dogs.

Thank you McMaster's and Storch's for coming by and offering advice and assistance if we ever need it.

But most importantly...thank you God for trusting me with a wonderful precious healthy little girl and the amazing wife that carried her for us both. (I love you honey!)

Again, thanks to everyone for the support and prayers...
BV